Boot and shoe holding and shaping device



March 1, 1966 R. W. SCHLEMAN BOOT AND SHOE HOLDING AND SHAPING DEVICE Filed July 18, 1963 0 F|G.l

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ROBERT W. SCH LEMAN ATTORNEYS March 1, 1966 R. w. SCHLEMAN 3,237,225

BOOT AND SHOE HOLDING AND SHAPING DEVICE Filed July 18, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f 50 V 22 j i 58- 1 6 I 22 l' 7 I 42 l 1- C@:P: W i 35 I- I I I 40 L 1 T 30 32%: l

INVENTOR R OBERT W. SCHLEMAN BY 74% hiya,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,237,225 BOOT AND SHGE HULDING AND SHAPENG DEVICE Robert W. Schleman, Charlevoix, Mich., assignor to Stream-Ezra, Ind, Mishawaka, Ind, a corporation of Indiana Filed July 18, 1963, Ser. No. 295,877 4 Claims. (Cl. 12120.5)

The present invention relates to a boot holder and more particularly to a device for holding boots or shoes in a position to maintain them in proper shape and form while not in use.

Boots and shoes which are used primarily for sports such as skiing, hunting and the like, are often used for a short period of time and are then stored over long periods and are frequently initially stored while wet or moist. Consequently, if they are not subjected to a form retaining device, they often become permanently misshapen and hence uncomfortable to the wearer. Since the boots are relatively expensive and are suitable for wear for a number of seasons, attempts have been made to improve upon the conventional shoe trees, which are not only difficult to insert and remove from the boot, but will not hold the entire boot structure in proper shape. Further, even with the conventional shoe three, the boot can not be easily hung or conveniently placed where the parts thereof will be self supporting, and hence the boots are usually placed on the floor of a closet or cabinet or stored on a shelf where the upper portion is free to fold or sag downwardly and become permanently misshapen. Also, when the boots are stored in the foregoing manner, foreign objects, such as ski and hunting gear and clothing and other boots and shoes, are thrown on them, thus caus ing further and excessive distortion and possibly permitting the wet or moistened boots to become mildewed and hence permanently damaged or destroyed. The conventional shoe tree is sometimes incapable of reshaping and holding the normally heavy soles of the sport boots in proper condition without the characteristic bow in the used boot. It is therefore one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a boot and shoe holder which effectively retains the upper structure thereof in proper shape and the sole in vstraight or substantially straight position, and which can be readily hung on a hook or rod with the upper structure in a self supporting, natural position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a boot holder which is so constructed and designed that it can effectively reshape the wet or moist boot to normal position and retain it in that position until fully dried and in satisfactory wearing condition and in the use of which the force required to perform the reshaping operation can be easily applied.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a boot holder of the aforesaid type which is adapted to reshape and retain the boots or shoes of a pair simultaneously, thus keeping the boots or shoes of a pair together until simultaneously released from the holder, and which can easily and quickly be adjusted to receive any size of boot or shoe.

A further object is to provide a. shoe and boot holding and shaping device which is relatively simple in construction and operation, and which does not require special shapes and forms for various types and sizes of shoes and boots.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the present boot and shoe holding and shaping device;

3,237,225 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the boot and shoe holding and shaping device shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the present device, the section being taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the present device shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the sections being taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view of the present device, the section being taken on line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view of the device shown in the preceding figures, the section being taken on line 66 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the present boot and shoe holding and shapingdevice, the section being taken on line 77 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view of the present device, the section being taken on line 83 of FIGURE 7.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, numeral 10 designates generally the present boot and shoe holding and shaping device, and numeral 12 one boot of a pair of ski boots held in proper position in the present device. While the device can satisfactorily hold one shoe alone, normally both shoes of a pair would be mounted in the device in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1. Normally the boots would project laterally from one another with each boot being held firmly in place with the soles thereof facing one another. While the device is illustrated in FIGURE 1 retaining a ski boot in place, the present device can be used to hold and reshape various other types of boots and shoes, and can be used to hold and reshape any conventional or standard shoe, regardless of size.

The present boot and shoe holding and shaping device consists of a base 21D and a post 22 secured to the center of said base and held rigidly in vertical position. The post seats in socket 24 in the base and is held therein by a tight fit or any other suitable securing means. The base is preferably formed of cast aluminum and the post of extruded aluminum; however, other metals and methods of making these parts may be used, if desired. The upper surface of base 20 is substantially flat and is provided with two laterally spaced ribs 26 and 28 along opposite edges of the base to form guides for heel holding members 30 and 32 disposed on the left and right sides of post 22, as shown in FIGURE 1. These two heel holding members are identical to one another and are provided with an upstanding plate 34 with an arcuate or concave recess 36 contoured generally to the contour of the lower rear portion of the boot or shoe. Plate 34 is integrally attached to and supported by a base plate 38, which is adjustably secured to base 20 by a screw 46 or 40' extending downwardly through elongated slot 42 into a threaded hole 44 or 44). It is thus seen that the heel holding members may be adjusted outwardly or inwardly with respect to post 22 to accommodate various sized shoes by merely loosening bolts 44) and 40' and slipping base plate 38 outwardly or inwardly as required and then retightening the two screws. Guide ribs 26 and 23 assist in retaining plates 34 of the two heel holding members parallel to one another on base 20. Rather than to make the base plate 33 unnecessarily large, two additional holes 48 and 50 on the left-hand side, as shown in FIGURE 6, and holes 48' and 50 on the right-hand side are provided for receiving screws 44 and 44, respectively, if the size of the boots and shoes requires further extended or retracted adjustment to hold them properly.

The toes of the two boots are held by a cross arm 60 and pivoted push levers 62 and 64, the upper ends of levers 62 and 64 being inserted in slots 66 and 68 in the respective ends of the arms and held therein by pins 70 and 72, respectively, extending through the two arms on either sides of slots 66 and 68 and through the upper end of the respective lever. The two slots 66 and 63 extend inwardly at their lower edges in close proximity to post 22 to permit the two levers to swing inwardly to the position shown for lever 64 in FIGURE 1. The lower edge of each lever is provided with an arcuate or concave recess 74 having a longitudinal corresponding arcuate slot 76. The arcuate or concave recess 74 follows generally the contour of the toe of the sole and the slot 76 permits the lever to engage firmly the front and upper surface of the toe, as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The arm is ad justed vertically on post 22 by a nut 39 threaded on threaded portion 82 of post 22, the arm being free to move anywhere on post 22 below nut 80, and is urged downwardly to press levers 62 and 64 into firm engagement with the forward end of the sole as the nut is tightened on threaded portion 82.

The post 22 is preferably square and the hole $4 through arm 60 is likewise square to prevent the arm from rotating on the post, thus holding it effectively in laterally extending position directly above heel holding members 30 and 32. At the upper end of the post is provided a hook 86 for hanging the device on a hook or rod in a closet, for example, where the shoes will be permitted to be dried effectively and where the shoe can be stored safely for long periods of time.

In the use of the present boot and shoe holding and shaping device, the heel holding members 30 and 32 are adjusted inwardly or outwardly to accommodate the boot to be placed in the holder, and boots are then inserted in the holder with the heel of each boot in the respective member 30 or 32, and the sole of each boot flat against the side of post 22, as illustrated in FIGURE 1. Arm 61), which has been held manually above the shoe with the nut threaded in a position adjacent hook 86, is lowered and levers 62 and 64 are placed on the forward ends of the soles with the groove '76 of each lever engaging the forward and upward edge of the respective sole in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1. Thereafter, upon tightening nut 80, the arm is forced downwardly and levers 62 and 64 are forced inwardly, pressing the sole of each shoe firmly against the side of post 22 and pressing the shoe at the point of juncture between the heel and the rear portion of the counter into the recess 36 of the two heel holding members. Thereafter, further tightening of nut 80 urges the sole inwardly to straighten and hold in in proper position. With the boots assembled in the foregoing manner and projecting laterally in opposite directions from post 22, the device can be hung on a hook or on a rod where they will be held in proper position and effectively protected.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail herein, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present boot and shoe holding and shaping device.

I claim:

I. A boot holding and reshaping device, comprising a rectangular base, a square post extending upwardly from said base and having a threaded portion thereon, threaded holes in said base on opposite sides of said post, a hook on the upper end of said post, an L-shaped heel holding member on said base on each side of said post having a vertically positioned plate with an arcuate recess in the upper edge thereof and a base plate joined to said first plate and engaging the upper surface of said base and having an elongated slot therein extending radially from said post, a screw extending through said slot into one of said threaded holes on opposite sides of said post, said threaded holes being arranged on a line extending radially from said post, a cross-arm slidable on said post and having a slot in each end, a lever pivoted in each slot and extending downwardly therefrom, the lower edge of each of said levers having an arcuate recess therein and a groove in said recess extending parallel with the lower edge of the respective lever, and a nut on the threaded portion of said post above said arm for uring said arm downwardly and said levers onto the forward edge of the sole of a boot in said device.

2. A boot and shoe holding device, comprising a base, a post extending upwardly from said base and having a threaded portion thereon, a heel holding member on said base on each side of said post having a vertically positioned plate with an arcuate recess in the upper edge thereof and a base plate joined to said first plate and engaging the upper surface of said base and having an elongated slot therein extending radially from said post, a screw extending through said slot into a threaded hole in said base, a cross-arm slidable on said post, a lever pivoted to each end of said arm and extending downwardly therefrom, the lower edge of each of said levers having an arcuate recess therein and a groove in said recess extending parallel with the lower edge of the respective lever, and a nut on the threaded portion of said post above said arm for urging said arm downwardly.

3. A boot holding device, comprising a base, a post extending upwardly from said base and having a threaded portion thereon, heel holding members on said base on opposite sides of said post, adjustable means for securing each of said heel holding members to said base, a crossarm slidable on said post, a lever pivoted to each end of said arm and extending downwardly therefrom, the lower edge of each of said levers having an arcuate recess therein and a groove in said recess extending parallel with the lower edge of the respective lever, and a nut on the threaded portion of said post above said arm for urging said arm downwardly and said levers on tthe forward edge of the sole of a boot in said device.

4. A boot holding device, comprising a base, a post extending upwardly from said base and having a threaded portion thereon, heel holding members, adjustable means for securing said heel holding members to said base, a cross-arm slidable on said post, a lever pivoted to each end of said arm and extending downwardly therefrom for engaging the toes of a pair of boots placed in the device, and nut means threaded on said post for urging said arm downwardly and said levers inwardly to clamp the boots against the post.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,467,625 4/1949 Mayo 12120.5 2,758,325 8/1956 Wood et al. 12120.5 3,013,286 12/1961 Barreca 12--120.5 3,074,085 1/1963 Salzman 12120.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 952,331 11/ 1949 France.

1,112,613 5/1958 Germany.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BOOT HOLDING AND RESHAPING DEVICE, COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR BASE, A SQUARE POST EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE AND HAVING A THREADED PORTION THEREON, THREADED HOLES IN SAID BASE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID POST, A HOOK ON THE UPPER END OF SAID POST, AN L-SHAPED HEEL HOLDING MEMBER ON SAID BASE ON EACH SIDE OF SAID POST HAVING A VERTICALLY POSITIONED PLATE WITH AN ARCUATE RECESS IN THE UPPER EDGE THEREOF AND A BASE PLATE JOINED TO SAID FIRST PLATE AND ENGAGING THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BASE AND HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT THEREIN EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID POST, A SCREW EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOT INTO ONE OF SAID THREADED HOLES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID POST, SAID THREADED HOLES BEING ARRANGED ON A LINE EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID POST, A CROSS-ARM SLIDABLE ON SAID POST AND HAVING A SLOT IN EACH END, A LEVER PIVOTED IN EACH SLOT AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, THE LOWER EDGE OF EACH OF SAID LEVERS HAVING AN ARCUATE RECESS THEREIN AND A GROOVE IN SAID RECESS EXTENDING PARALLEL WITH THE LOWER EDGE OF THE RESPECTIVE LEVER, AND A NUT ON THE THREADED PORTION 